Midterm elections settle control of Congress in Argentina

Argentina will hold legislative elections on Sunday in which the ruling Peronism will seek to avoid a tough defeat that could take away its majority in the Senate and its leadership in the Lower House.

Why is choice important?

The election is critical for center-left President Alberto Fernández and his government. A heavy defeat could leave him weakened and trigger a reckoning within the ruling coalition, already battered by defeat in the September primary elections.

Voters in the agro-exporting country were hit by the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic and galloping inflation that the Government has not been able to control, which has reduced the purchasing power of Argentines.

“The election is a clear plebiscite on the two years of Alberto Fernández and (the vice president) Cristina Fernández”Of Kirchner, said political consultant Carlos Fara, adding that it marks the beginning of the presidential race for the 2023 general elections.

“Open and start building the grid of candidates and possibilities for 2023“, he pointed.

What’s at stake?

Legislative elections are staggered: not all seats in Congress are up for grabs this time.

Eight provinces renew 24 seats out of a total of 72 in the Senate. The ruling alliance, Frente de Todos, risks losing its own majority in the Upper House, which would weaken its ability to pass bills.

In the Chamber of Deputies, where the ruling party has the largest bloc but not the majority, there are 127 competing seats out of a total of 257, which will be contested throughout the country.

The Peronist coalition is expected to lose in key districts where it has traditionally won, such as the province of Buenos Aires, although in general the lower house seats of the two main parties would remain unchanged.

What are the polls waiting for?

Center-left Peronism was defeated in the September primary elections, a result that analysts and pollsters believe will be repeated. The government could lose up to six seats in the Senate, taking away its majority in the chamber.

In the Chamber of Deputies, the primary elections showed a clear victory for the center-right opposition, which allowed it to get closer in numbers to the ruling coalition.

What happens that day?

Voting, mandatory for people between the ages of 18 and 70, will begin on Sunday at 8:00 a.m. local time (1100 GMT) and close at 18:00 (2100 GMT). The first results are expected at 9:00 p.m.

In the Senate, two seats from each region go to the winning party, and the remainder goes to the second most voted party. In the Chamber of Deputies, seats are distributed proportionally to the number of votes.